Cassidy told the media after he qualified that his election would return the balance of power in the Senate to the Republican Party.

But Landrieu said her role as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is a position the voters wouldn't throw away in favor of a political party. She said her role on the committee would help Louisiana shape the future of energy for the nation.

"This is a transformational time for our country. We can design for the first time an energy policy that works for our state. And for the country, [we can have] self-sufficiency, self-reliance, creating middle class jobs that pay way above the minimum wage. Why would we throw this out? I think people understand that and will rally to our cause," Landrieu said.

Landrieu was greeted at the Secretary of State's Office by Republicans dressed in flight garb as part of the Louisiana GOP's #AirMary campaign. The party hopes to continue to highlight Landrieu's recent controversy where she used Senate money to pay for campaign flights.

Landrieu briefly addressed the controversy during her remarks Wednesday. She called it a bookkeeping error that should not have happened. She said an independent legal counsel has been hired to review all of her flight data while she's been in the Senate.

She said the findings will be released to the public in early September.

"If Congressman Cassidy is so concerned, he should make his records public, and he should talk about the issues that matter to people. It was a bookkeeping mistake. It's not going send anyone to college. It's not going to build any levees. It's not going to help people pay their flood insurance," Landrieu said.

This story is developing... Continue to check www.NOLA.com for more on this story.